Improved brick-machine



intra @anni l' New,

HENRY AI-KEN-,or P i'r'rsone, PENNSYLVANIA'.

Leners-Patent No. 85,197, dated member 22, 1868.

IMPROVE!) BRICK-MACHINE.

The Schedule referred to in the-se Letters Patent and' making part of the-same.

-To all 4whom 'it 'ma/ l/flconcern Be n. known that I, HENRY Amts, 0f Pittsburg, in.

the county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in BrickT Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of' the same, reierence being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is atop view; Figure 2 is an elevation; Figures 3, 4, and 5 are separate parts of' the machine; Figure 8 is a bottom view; Figure 9 is a perspective view ofthe plunger; Figure l() is a plan of a guide to the plunger; Figures 6, 7, and l1 are views of the turtle of the pug-miil; and

Figure l2 shows the pressing-mechanism. The sameletters in all the figures indicate identical parts.

My improvements relate to that class of machines used formaking pressed brick; and. A

My invention consists in so constructingthe machine p as to make pressed bricks at one operation from ternfpered clay. The character ofthe new combinations used in the accomplishment of this purpose will appear from the following specification and claims.

The following description, in connection with the drawings, will enable persons skilled in the art to manufacture and operate my improved machine.

The power may be applied tothe pulley A, on the main driving-shaft Al, and'is communicated, by means ofthe bevel-pinion Az, to the bevelled master-Wheel B.

The master-wheel is placed on a vertical shaft, B2, having its step on the frame of' the machine.

'lhe master-Wheel is attached to a cylindrical body,

in-the bottom of which is cut a heart-formed groove, to form a cam for operating part of the mechanism, to` be hereinafter described.

' On the shaft B2 is also a pinion, B3, which will also be more fully described.

On the upper end of' the shaft is a spur-pinion, B*,

which dri ves' the spur-wheel C, on-the. top of the pugmill shaft.

The pug-mill is supported upon the bed-plate E, and

upon its shaft is a series of paddles tn cut the clay,

and, by their screw-fbimed position, to drive it con;

stantly downward.

I do not claim that there is anything new about this portion ofthe mechanism.

The turtle on the lower en'd ofthe pug-mill shaft is, however, of' a peculiar and novel form. It is constructed with' three wings, as shown in figs. 6, 7, and 11', and its object is to force the clay into the moulds, and' at the same time smooth 'it off. This is accomplished by reason of the peculiar form of the parts of the turtle, as clearly shown in the drawings.

' The turtle is set on the lower end-of' the pug-milll shaft, and the wings extend to and radiate from the centre, so that the arms have a sweeping-operation over the face of the clay, in whatever 'position the turtlc may be placed. -The shaft does not turn upou'al step, as is usuallythe case, but is suspended upon bearings, so that'there is an entirely uninterrupted space between the mould-wheel'and the turtle. The turtle is set closely 'over the moulds, and its entire lower-surface is upon the same horizontal plane.

V The moulds Dl are in the mould-wheel D. They are lined with steel, and formed so as to make three or more v.bricks at one operation. .lhe clay, properly tempercdin the pug-mill, is fed down by the paddles, and forced by the turtle 'into the open mould as it passes under the pug-mill. Y

To accomplish this, it is necessary to give an intermittent revolution to the mould-wheel. This is eii'ected by means of the pinion B3, working into cogs on the periphery of the mould-wheel. 4

The pinion has the teeth stripped from nearly onehalf` its circumference, so that it only gives motion to the mould-wheel, while the cogs in the pinion mesh with the gearing upon the rim of the mould-wheel.

The gearing is so proportioned that the teeth in the pin-ion shall suice to engage the teeth of the mouldwheel only during so long a time as may suiice to bring the moulds successively under the pug-mill, where they will remain stationary during the remainderof the revolution of' the pinion, thus affording ample time for the turtle to fill the moulds and smooth off the upper surface ofthe clay.

When the teethof thc'pinion first begin to engage those of the" Wheel D, the strain will be upon a single tooth in each wheel.

In order to sustain this duty, the corresponding teeth thus encountering b and d are made of' about double the strength of' the other cogs. Y

A plate is fastened upon the lower side of the pinion B3, and a segment projects around all that portion of the circumference of the pinion that has been stripped, and a corresponding recess is put in the edge' of the mould-wheel at d, (figs. l and 2,) to receive this projecting segmental flange;

The flange is so arranged, inl relation to the wheel,

with its recesses d, that 'during all that part of lthe revolution in which theteeth are not in gear,` the flange shall prevent any motion of the mould-wheel, which is essential to theoperation of both the. filling and pressing-mechanism.

The bottom of the moulds is formed by ,a plunger, D2, which is subdivided into as many heads as tlhere are bricks to be formed in the mould. .The tops of the headof the plunger are'covered by steel plates, as clearly shown in fig. 9, andbyth d'ark portion of' the plunger shown in fig. 10.

The object of this construction 1s to enable the wo1 k ing-surfaces to -be removed, by taking oif these plates and spreading them as soon as they become worn, so as to alwaysl maintain a tightv fit. The wear, by constantly grinding upon these surfaces of gritty particles, is very rapid, and this mode of providing against it cheaply is regarded as important.

These plates have heretofore been used, but their edges were flush with the faces of the plunger, By making them wider than the plunger, shown, it is provided that space shall be left between the faces of the plunger and those of the mould, for any particles of clay that may pass by the edges of the plate to fall out of the mould, without causing increased friction and Vconsequent wear'of the'parts.4 l

This diminution of the size of the plungers also enables me to use the adjustable guide-plates of the plunger D', to be elsewhere explained.-

As the plates alone come in contact with the edges of the moulds, the wear is upon themfalone, and, consequently, as they are worn away, it is only nessary to remove the plate, and to spxead them, to make the' t perfect. The diminution in the thickness of the plates, by thus spreading, may easily be compensated by placing sheets of paper vbetween them and the plunger-head.

When the moulds have been filled, they are carried forward withthe revolution ofthe wheel, and brought under the edge of a knife, E, -set in the bed-plate E, and so formed, as shown in figs. 1, 3, and 4, as to shave ofi' the top of the brick, leaving a smooth surface.

In front ofthe knife there is an inclined, smooth sur- Vface, el, which, incliningV downward, serves to compress the clay more closely' into the mould before it is subjected to the shaving action of the knife. Thereis nothing peculiar in the form of the knifeitself. The knife is not attached to the bedplate directly, but is fastened into a block, which is set into the bed-plate, and'held in place by set-screws. t

The inclined .face e is cast in the block, and is intended as a more convenient and` cheaper manner of producing the same e'ect as is produced by the inclined plate shown in Sword and Tiifanys and Swords patents for the same pulpose.

The/upper bed-plate, E, is supported by rods, passing through the lower bed-plate, E3. The mould-wheel is placed between these bed-plates, running in a groove in the lower one, and the lower bed-plate is sustained upon the main frame of the machine. The upper bedplate is supported on the rods between the two nuts on each rod, one above and the other below the plate, so that as the plate wears, as it does rapidly, it may be set down by turning the nuts.

, The bricks, after being shaved by the knife, are carried with the rvolutionpof the mould-wheel until they arrive at a point under the opening E, in the bed-plate E. Here the wheel again is stopped until the brick is subjected to the action of the mechanism which presses it,

The pressing-mechanism is arranged as follows:

F is the press-plate, which is a bar fastened at 'one end to the head of the shaft of the mould-wheel F", and at the other to a vertical rod, F3, which passes down through a hole in the lower bed-plate', and is fastened to a sill-piece, F, fig. 8, which in its turn is attached by one end to the rod F3, and by the other to the lower end of the mould-wheel shaft, so that'the parts F F3 F?, with the shaft ofthe mould-wheel, form a frame t'o sustain the pressure independently of any other parts of the mechanism.

The brick is pressed between the plunger l)2 and a pressure-plate, F, which is fitted into the hole F2 in the upper bed-plate. This plate Fl is attached by a stem to the` middle of the press-plate F.

The plungeis are forced up by means of a togglejoint, G, which is placed between'the bottom bar, F4, on which one end is jointed, and the plungers.

The upper arm of the toggle-joint works through a supporting-guide, attached to the under side ofthe lower bed-plate, E, and I form Ait with a head, to act against the lower face of the plunger.

The toggle-joint is operated by two parallel rods, H, fastened at its elbow. The parallel rods are extended so as to pass beyond the shaft B, 'and are properly fastened at the end.

A roller, H', on a wrist-pin, is attached to the parallel rods, and received in a healtfbrmed recessed cam, Bf, in the wheel B,.as already described.

The toggle-joint is operated up and down, once at Vcach revolution of the wheel B, and the groove is so formed that the press shall only be in motion when the mould-wheel is stationary. Y

The plungers work between four guides, D, lig. 10, placed at the corners. These guides are attached to the lower face of the mould-wheel byset-screws, passing through vslotted openings in the guides, so that they may be set up as theywear. y

Set-screws or headedbolts, not show-n, are screwed into the lower edges of the moulds, in such position that the heads, catching against shoulders formed in the plungcrs, shall hold them when down, and prevent their dropping out.

When the bricks have thus been pressed, they pass on with the revolution of the wheel unt-il the roller d in the bottom of the plunger bears against the upper face of theincline D3,'\vhich is fastened to the lower bed-plate.

As the roller passes along the inclined. face` of the plate D", the plunger is forced up, and the brick is carried on the upper face ofthe wheel, still resting on the head of the plunger, until it reaches the oscillating cross-head L, which, traversing the face of the mouldwheel over the moulds successively, is operated as follows:

A bent lever, I, is pivoted at the elbow upon awrist pin, projecting from the lower cross-piece of the main frame.

receive a wrist-pin, 1l, attached to the parallel rods or straps H, below the Vroller H.

The long arm of the bell-crank lever is pivoted .to the arm I2, and this is in like manner fastened to the yoke I3.

This yoke is pivoted to the oscillating arms K K,

which are pivoted to the frame O. 4 The arms are connected by a rod, at their ends, to thestraps L, which give motion to the sliding crosshead L, placed upon the parallel rods M, attached to the upper bed-plate, and which, passing through eyes in the cross-head L, guide it across the face of the mould-wheel.

`As the mechanism operatingthel cross-head is attached to the rods H H, it follows that the cross-head will only be in motion while the wheel is stationary, so that as the inclined plate forces up the bricks, they are raised to the surface between the straps L L, and

in position to be swept ofi' by the cross-head.

When thus swept oti'they are carried upon the bridgeplate P, which is bolted to the frame O, and extended close up to the edge of the mould-wheel, and from there they'are carried over to the endless apron N, turning upon rollers N on the frame O, from which they are removed to the sheds, where they may be immediately haked up to dry, heilig so hard as not to require to be placed on thc drying-11001'.

When the bricks have been thus swept ofi', as the mould-wheel moves forward again, the form ofthe inclined plate D3 allows the plungers to fall by their own gravity before passing under the pug-mill to be again filled.

The cross-head 1r is iliade in t-he form of a trough, and is used for o ilin g the moulds. A brush is attac-hed The short arm of this bell-crank lever is slotted to -to .this oil-box, which sweeps the top of the moulds,

and being connected with the oil-reservoirs, at the same time oils them. I t will be observed that the pug-mill is in continuous operation, but the mould-wheel only in intermittent motion, it being at rest'while the operations of lling the moulds, pressing the bricks, and sweeping off those raised to the surface ofthe wheel are going'on, simultaneously upon diEerentparts of the wheel.

' What I clairn as iny invention, and desire to 'secure by Letters Patent, isl 1. In combination with a pinion, B, having teeth upon only part of its periphery, and the :mould-wheel D, the segmental flange b3 and therecesses ll, arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The spur-pinion B3 and mould-wheel D, having cogs, respectively, .as set forth,.wl1en the respective cogs b and d are constructed with a pitoh uniform with the other cogs of the respective Wheels, and a space is.

formed in front of the tooth (l, and between it and thel next oog in the series, to receive said teeth b, substantially as set forth, and shown in the drawings.

3. The knife E2, when attached to a cast block inserted in the uppei` plate E, said block having also an inclined lip, e', arranged in relation to the mo nld-Wheel and the knife, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with the bed-plate E and frame X of the brick-machine, the auxiliary frame F, I1, F, and F5, to which the press and press-plate are so an tached that the strain of the press shall be sustained upon saidauxiliary fialne, and not by the mainframe or bed-plate, substantially as herein described.

5. The combination ofthe toggle-joint press, and

the frame formed of the parts F, Il, and F4, and the shaft ofthe mould-wheel, substantially as set forth.

6. lh'e combination of two bed-plates enclosing the mould-wheel, and having the upper one supported by rods and double nuts, so as to be adjustable, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The'colnbination of the sweep L', and rods and levers L, K, 13,12, and I, and the earn B, which operates the same, substantially as set forth. v

8. The upper bed-plate, with openings for knife E and press-plate F, as set forth. Y

9. In combination with the plungers, adjustable guides D, arranged in relation thereto, substantially v as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed lny naine to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY AIKEN.

Witnesses: i

JOHN E. Lmne'rox, .Ions MoOoY. 

